Khrystal, Zentanos © me
Hawking © Raygirl
Rayman design © Ubisoft
~*~*~*~*~ To Mend A Broken Soul Chapter 4~*~*~*~*~
The sunrays gently whispered at the curtain, searching for a crack to peek through. They found one, where the cloth hadn't been pulled flush with the sill, and pushed through, spilling onto the bed and slowly melting its way towards the opposite wall.
The soft light crossed over Khrystal's face and she stirred beneath the blankets. She opened both her eyes and for a moment, she forgot what had happened and where she was. She sat up in the bed and glanced about. Unfamiliar walls surrounded her, decorated with things that were not her's.
And then she saw Hawking, his head tilted to the side as he slept. A small smile spread itself over her lips. Silently she took one of the blankets that covered her and carefully draped it over the older boy. He moved a little, shifting his weight and giving a soft sigh. She could hear a whisper of his voice resonating in the breathy sound and smiled again.
She suddenly caught herself leaning forward. She had been about to kiss his forehead! Flustered and embarrassed she turned away from him and took a few steps away, testing her newfound health. She felt much better, and was only left with a few aches reminiscent of the bruises and cuts.
She wondered about how she looked and absently searched about for something to look at her reflection in. After a while of looking she gave an exasperated sigh and gave up. She glanced again over toward where Hawking was sleeping. She didn't want to wake him up, but she was feeling particularly curious to her surroundings. She could pop out for a short walk about the hut and come back before he woke up.
Silently she slipped out of the doorway and was greeted by the cheery sun and the twittering of dozens of little birds. She gazed up at them as they perched on tree branches all around, nibbling out of feeders that Hawking must have placed for them. A sparrow flitted over to her and landed on her shoulder, hopping anxiously from foot to foot.
'Hawking can talk to them,' she thought with awe. How wonderful it would be to be able to speak to the birds, at least then you'd never be bored or lonely. She could tell he was proud of his talent even though he had blushed and brushed it aside as if every other person could do it.
"I think I'd rather talk to fellows like you instead of being able to tell how you feel." She said, gazing up into the branches as dozens of colorful feathers rustled in reply to her voice. The little sparrow on her shoulder gave a tweet and took off, stopping a few feet ahead of her and resting on a branch. She looked at it and chuckled. "Do you want me to follow you?"
The bird chirped and flittered further ahead, and stopped once more. Khrystal obliged and followed the eager sparrow. It lead her through the trees and into a clearing where the grass was shorter and yellowed, as if many people had walked on it recently.
"Where've you taken me?" Khrystal asked the bird curiously. She didn't expect it to reply, but was startled when it promptly took off and flew away. She shrugged to herself and took a step into the clearing.
Her heart suddenly skipped a beat and she felt as though she were walking into a spider's web. All about her thin strains of emotion tangled her mind and caught her off guard. Quickly she built a mental wall, as she had been taught those long years ago, and soon the alien feelings dulled. She glanced about her, carefully allowing the most prominent string of feeling that was attached to this area to become strong enough for her to "read."
Fear.
No, that wasn't strong enough. Terror. Something had happened here that had left someone deeply afraid, so afraid that the initial fear had never left the site. She re-constructed her wall and was left with her own feelings.
Khrystal sighed and hugged her arms about her chest. Every time she did it, "read" emotions, it always left her so tired. She sat down on a large rock beside a dried mud hole. She would just rest for a little while. As she watched the wind rustle through the leaves of a nearby tree, her mind turned back to the past…
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She was 13 then. The world hadn't quite lost all of its beautiful glow to the gray rust of time and experience. She stood in front of her home. Her *new* home. One of Earth's ancient relics, a gigantic old tree whose gnarled roots poked from the soil and twisted branch's reached ever upward toward the sky.
"Khrystal…"
She looked up at the elder man who had called her name. He carried a knotted stick in one hand, and a large, leather bound book in the other.
"Yes, Zentanos?" She asked, looking into his wise gray eyes.
He smiled at her. "Khrystal, are you ready for today's lesson?" At her nod he continued, placing the palm of one hand on the cover of the book. "Feelings can be left behind with a thing, sometimes an area, if they were strong enough. Put your hand here." Gently he took Khrystal's hand and placed it on the book.
She smiled as a warm feeling of comfort ran through her. Not her own feelings…it seemed nothing ever was. "Whoever had this book," she said slowly, trying to find the words to explain what she was feeling. "They liked it." She wished she could show him how it was like. "Who had this book before?"
Zentanos gazed down at the fraying brown of the binding. "My son. I used to read it to him when he was a boy." He carefully rested the weight of the large book in her hands. "I want you to have it."
She had never been given anything before. Khrystal looked with wide eyes at the worn book, then back to the somber face of Zentanos. "Thank you." She said. It was too bad 'thank you' didn't express half of what she felt.
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"Khrystal!"
She shook her head as she heard the familiar voice of Hawking. Her heart jumped a moment as she recognized a note of alarm in his voice and she called back. "I'm here!"
"Keep talking!"
She looked about her quickly. "I'm in a clearing! It looks like there once was a big sink hole here, but it's - "
A shriek of fury and fluster of wings interrupted her speech as a large griffiness crashed through the green foliage. Khrystal screamed in terror and backed away, tripping over loose stones. She landed painfully on her back, knocking the wind out of her. She gasped for breath and continued to crawl backwards, unaware of the sharp rocks that cut into her hands. The female griffin stalked menacingly toward her, it's beak glinting harshly.
Khrystal gave a shout as she saw Hawking thrust aside a bush and step into the clearing. And then she watched as he froze. A tidal wave of fear crashed into her, causing her to shake as she was seized by it. "H-Hawking…" She tried to call for him, but her voice wouldn't seem to work and all that escaped her lips was a breathy whisper.
Khrystal could feel the hot breath of the griffiness as she towered above her. She glared down at the shaking girl, and then lifted a claw. Khrystal screamed once more before she was enveloped in black.
But it wasn't the blackness of death, or even that of unconsciousness. She felt hands grab her and lift her up and she grabbed for something to hold onto as she felt her world pitch and thrust forward into the sky.
For a moment she wondered if the griffiness had decided to save her to eat later instead of killing her right away, for she heard the rustle of feathers against wind. But that couldn't be, it would have carried her in hard talons, not strong hands.
She tilted her head and looked up into the face of the one who had saved her. "Hawking?!"
He glanced down at her and gave a half smile and a weary nod. "Yes."
She looked down at the green tops of trees as they drifted by. They were quickly coming to the clearing where Hawking's hut was. Carefully he landed and set Khrystal down on the ground. She took a few steps away and was amazed to see wings. They were black in color, and each feather shone glossily as the sun cast its light over them.
"Y-you're an angel?" She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Carefully she reached out her hand and brushed her fingertips over the downy softness on a wing.
Hawking looked down at the ground, his hands nervously coming together. "Half." He explained.
Khrystal sat down on the ground before him, unsure of what she should feel. "That's twice you've saved me." She said distantly, her mind was still struggling to accept the idea that she knew a real angel, and that he had cared enough to rescue her *twice*. Who was talking with her right now as if she was an equal.
"It's all right." Hawking shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Why did you leave the hut like that? You scared me."
"I scared you?" She couldn't mask the surprise in her voice. "Why?"
"You might not have been well enough to be out yet. You could've gotten hurt somehow, you almost did!"
Memory flashed quickly past her eyes. Someone yelling, raising they're fist.
She threw her hands in front of her face and prepared herself for the eminent strike. When there was none she carefully opened her eyes and looked up. Hawking took her shoulders lightly and made her stand up.
"Why are you so afraid?" He asked in a steady voice. "What do you dream about? And how can I know that your scared right now?"
Khrystal began to shake. He was calling her out, demanding answers. But instead of running away like she would have if anyone else had asked her, she took a deep calming breath and closed her eyes.
"I don't know how to explain it well." She said softly. "But Zentanos said it was 'Empath.' I can…feel how other people are feeling. And sometimes they can feel what I am."
Hawking's features softened as he began to understand. "Who's Zentanos?"
"He helped me when I first learned about what I can do. He taught me how to block the feelings of others and other things." Khrystal sighed. "But he…died three years ago."
"Didn't you have any other family?"
Khrystal took a shuddering breath. "Yes. I did." Hawking didn't say anything, just let her gather herself and continue. "They were what I ran away from when I went to Zentanos. Uhm…they didn't…they didn't enjoy my company so much." Her voice cracked and she buried her face in her hands, trying hard not to loose control. Not to cry. She was breathing fast and her heart beat wildly in her chest.
"What did they do to you?" It was as if he could read her mind. Then again, he could probably just be reading her feelings. His grip on her shoulders tightened slightly and he looked into her eyes. "Did they hurt you?"
"You're awfully good at guessing." Khrystal said in an attempt to make a joke. She gave a crooked smile. "But they've passed on too…and I've forgiven them."
Hawking gave a grim nod, as if he thought they didn't deserve it. He let go of her and turned slightly to the side, and Khrystal realized that his wings had disappeared. She spotted a few scruffy looking feathers along his back. He saw her looking at them and sighed. "Because I am half and half, I can retract them."
"Oh." Khrystal looked at the ground. "Can I ask…which one was…?" Her voice trailed off.
But he understood what she had meant to ask. "My mother."
"Did they love you?" He seemed surprised at her question, but she ignored it. She hoped they loved him. She hoped that they loved him every day.
After a moment of thought, he nodded his head and looked down at the earth. "Yes. But, they're gone too."
"Oh…I'm so sorry. It must have been horrible." Khrystal said softly.
For a moment she watched as Hawking clenched his fists at his side, closing his eyes as if it could prevent the feelings. She didn't tap into them…it would be like rummaging through a person's most treasured things. Finally he shook his head and motioned for her to follow.
"Since you're feeling better, I want to take you somewhere." He said, stepping into his hut. Khrystal followed and watched from the doorway as he packed some food and water in a pack and slung it over his shoulder. She stepped back and out of his way as he came back outside, shutting the door behind him. "Come on."
A fresh wave of curiosity rolled through her, washing away any remaining sadness. How could she be sad when Hawking was here? She shook her head and blushed. What was she thinking? She meant, how could she be sad when Hawking wasn't. Then again…
"What's wrong?"
She looked up quickly at Hawking's smiling face. "Uhm…nothing. I'm coming." She took a few large steps to reach him, and then they were both off. Walking in a steady pace through the trees.